Burr Oak puts on largest community parade this season

Monday

Jul 29, 2013 at 6:00 AM

With a fireworks display that many spectators said rivaled the Fourth of July show in Sturgis, Burr Oak proved over the past four days that size doesn’t matter.St. Joseph County’s smallest incorporated community made a big-time impression on the crowds of people who took part in the long list of activities as part of the fifth annual Burr Oak Heritage Festival.

Jef Rietsma

With a fireworks display that many spectators said rivaled the Fourth of July show in Sturgis, Burr Oak proved over the past four days that size doesn’t matter.St. Joseph County’s smallest incorporated community made a big-time impression on the crowds of people who took part in the long list of activities as part of the fifth annual Burr Oak Heritage Festival.With a full slate of activities Saturday, the festival drew hundreds of people lured by the numerous offerings.Though a brief but heavy rain shower temporarily interrupted the tractor pedal pulls Saturday afternoon, the weather was perfect a few hours earlier for the annual parade. With more than 80 entries, the Heritage Festival procession was the largest among St. Joseph County’s five community festivals to have taken place so far this summer.“It’s never a good time to rain but if it’s going to, thankfully it wasn’t during the parade,” said Patty Seeba, a member of the Burr Oak Heritage Festival Planning Committee. “That’s a huge draw and, along with the fireworks display, a component of the festival that rain can really ruin.”A new event – the re-enactment of the 1919 attempted robbery of the First National Bank of Burr Oak – was called an overwhelming success by Seeba. She said about 300 people crammed Third Street to witness the re-enactment.Though the Saturday night fireworks show was deemed stellar by many spectators, it didn’t draw as many people as it has in the past. Event organizers said unprecedented temperatures in the upper 50s likely kept some people home – and under a blanket.Unfortunately, rain forced Sunday’s community church service and hog roast potluck indoors. Seeba said the event was relocated to the Methodist church and its social hall.“We’ve always had good luck with the weather on Sunday, but it was just enough of a drizzle,” she said.Other attractions Saturday included a wheat-thresher demonstration, 3-on-3 basketball tournament, a mud-volleyball competition, ice-cream social, port-a-potty pulls and live music at the Mama Mia’s beer tent.Scott Dobberteen, a Burr Oak resident whose grandmother was one of the village’s original settlers, said reviving a community festival for Burr Oak in 2009 was a smart move.“It gives us a sense of community and it’s really just a big reunion for a lot of people,” he said. “Family and class reunions, really. It brings people into town and that’s always good for Burr Oak.”His 16-year-old son, Hunter, paid $5 to participate in a punt, pass and kick competition. Sponsored by Burr Oak High School’s freshman class, the event at Railroad Park was a fundraiser for the class’ senior trip.Overseen by J.R. Summey, an assistant coach with Burr Oak High School’s 8-man football team, the punt, pass and kick event was new this year.A returning event/fundraiser was the hot dog sale by the Burr Oak Fire Department. Department officials said last year’s inventory of 400 hot dogs sold out, so they ordered 500 this year. By all accounts, it appeared to be just enough, as the $1 deal was too good for many people to pass up.Sturgis resident Matt Keim and his family, including 3-year-old triplets Cruz, Bentley and Jackson, said he doesn’t have occasion to usually go to Burr Oak. Keim said he found the display of old tractors and the wheat-thresher demonstration especially appealing.“We came just to look at the old tractors, so we were pleasantly surprised that there was a lot more to see and do,” he said. “The kids liked the parade. That was a real hit.”As it was last year, mud volleyball was a resounding success based on participation and number of spectators. A field of dirt at Railroad Park was watered all day Saturday in advance of the late-afternoon competition.Seeba said plans will begin in August for the sixth annual Burr Oak Heritage Festival, July 24-27 next year.

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